Automated topology-discovery processes, wherein topology-related information is exchanged among the nodes of a network using data-plane headers of transmitted packets, and without relying on conventional control-plane topology-discovery protocols. For such “control-plane-less” topology discovery, a discovery-enabling Topology Discovery Header (TDH) may be encoded as an extension of the data-plane header. Such TDH can be used, e.g., to carry various types of pertinent information typically relied-upon by the relevant network entities for topology-discovery purposes. In some embodiments, topology discovery is fully migrated from the control plane to the data plane and is substantially integrated into the corresponding Packet Switching Technology. Due to this migration, some features of some conventional control protocols may not be critically needed in the corresponding communication networks. As a result, adaptation, streamlining, replacement, and/or elimination of some of such control protocols may beneficially be implemented, e.g., to meet the needs of the network operator in a cost-effective manner.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the IP data-plane header to include a source address and a destination address of the first IP data packet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first IP data packet to have no payload.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header to be an extension header of the IP data-plane header.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the IP network device to send the first IP data packet in response to a second IP data packet received from the IP network, the second IP data packet having a respective IP data-plane header that includes a respective topology-discovery header having respective information for automated discovery of the topology of the IP network.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header of the first IP data packet to have a plurality of link state advertisements corresponding to contents of a link state database of the IP network device.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header of the first IP data packet to have a link state advertisement obtained from the respective topology-discovery header of the second IP data packet.
9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header of the first IP data packet to have a link state advertisement obtained from a link state database of the IP network device.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the IP network device to broadcast or multicast the first IP data packet.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header to have a plurality of link state advertisements.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header to have a plurality of link-state-advertisement acknowledgements.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the topology-discovery header to have a plurality of link-state-advertisement requests.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the IP data-plane header includes a source address and a destination address of the IP data packet.
17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first IP data packet has no payload.
18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the topology-discovery header is an extension header of the IP data-plane header.
19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the IP network device to send a second IP data packet in response to the first IP data packet, the second IP data packet having a respective IP data-plane header that includes a respective topology-discovery header having respective information for automated discovery of the topology of the IP network.
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May 27, 2021
June 25, 2024
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